BNPS_JFKWhiteHouseWhale_03.jpg
BNPS.co.uk (01202 558833)
Pic: RR Auction/BNPS
A prized scrimshaw whale tooth which JFK displayed on his desk at the Oval Office has emerged for sale for £22,000. ($30,000)
The 6.5ins rarity depicts a bark-rigged Yankee whaler boat with sails scanning the horizon for spouting whales.
President John Kennedy was a passionate scrimshaw collector and this example took pride of place in the White House until his assassination in 1963.
A year later, his widow Jackie Kennedy gave it to an admired US general as a token of appreciation for his 'devotion to country and President Kennedy'.
The sperm whale tooth, which is 4.25ins in diameter, is being offered for sale for the first time with RR Auction, of Boston, US.
Pic: RR Auction/BNPS
A prized scrimshaw whale tooth which JFK displayed on his desk at the Oval Office has emerged for sale for £22,000. ($30,000)
The 6.5ins rarity depicts a bark-rigged Yankee whaler boat with sails scanning the horizon for spouting whales.
President John Kennedy was a passionate scrimshaw collector and this example took pride of place in the White House until his assassination in 1963.
A year later, his widow Jackie Kennedy gave it to an admired US general as a token of appreciation for his 'devotion to country and President Kennedy'.
The sperm whale tooth, which is 4.25ins in diameter, is being offered for sale for the first time with RR Auction, of Boston, US.
RR Auction/BNPS 13 Jul 2021 1625x962 / 333.3KB